On Monday Dorothy, our Executive Pastry Chef and I had a great opportunity to do a demonstration at a local preschool. There were 24 four and five year olds that couldn't have been better students. With Spring upon us and Easter just a few days away we thought it would be nice to demonstrate "Bunny Grass Patch Cupcakes." It was a simple project that helped utilize the fine motor skills these little minds are learning to master in their early education.

Here is what you will need...

Cupcake mix

Whipped Icing (white or brown)

green food coloring

coconut

Nestle egg shaped chocolates

Black decorating gel

Sprinkles (not sugar sprinkles as you will need to use one of these for each eye)

Mini tootsie rolls

Large spoon

Small knife or cutting utensil

Jelly beans

Instructions...

Bake & cool your favorite cupcake (we made confetti cupcakes)

Frost with whipped icing

In a small bag mix in a few drops of green food coloring with coconut. Shake until the coconut is green throughout.

Sprinkle to coconut on the frosting leaving a bare spot in center of the cupcake for the bunny!

Unwrap one Nestle egg shaped chocolate (this will be the body of the bunny)

Use the decorating gel to make the nose and mouth of the bunny on the pointy end of the chocolate

Place a small dot of icing where the eyes should be placed and attach a small round sprinkle for each eye

Heat the oven. Working on a flour-dusted sheet of wax paper, roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use the template piece and a kitchen knife to cut Mickey short shapes from the dough. Bake the cookies according to the recipe directions and then let them cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt a small handful of white chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package directions. Spread the melted candy on wax paper and set it aside for a few minutes to harden. Once it's ready, cut the candy into thin slivers to use for the shamrock stems, and set them aside for now.

Working with one cookie at a time, spread the tops with green cookie icing. Before the icing sets, add two shamrock buttons. For each, press three white chocolate chips (tips down) into the icing, and add a tiny candy stem.

Set the decorated cookies aside for the icing to harden (four hours or so) before serving.

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Thank you KMTV Channel 3 Up Front at 4! We had a blast working with you on this feature! Take a peek for yourself to see what you may or may not have missed. Dorothy Thompson really does think..."Outside the Box!"

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl.In a large bowl whisk the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl.Add the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.

Drop tablespoonful’s of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.Bake 6 minutes, and then remove from oven and make and indentation in the center with the back of a teaspoon. Return to the oven, and bake until set, 4 to 6 more minutes.Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the filling:beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer on medium high, until smooth.Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and ½ t. vanilla; beat until incorporated. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip; pipe into the indentations of the cookies.Dust with cinnamon.